Category: Arts & Entertainment

by Abby Ryu ’26

As the school year comes to a close, life on campus seems to inversely get busier as most extracurricular groups hold important end of the year events. One of said events is the annual Spring concert, which was presented by the Wyoming Seminary Music Department on Saturday May 4 in the Kirby Center for Creative Arts (KCCA). This concert was the last large performance for those in the music department, allowing students in the music department to showcase their immense effort throughout the school year. Chloe Caputo ‘26, a member of both the Chorale and Band as well as the two smaller ensembles, Madrigals and Jazz Band, echoes this sentiment: “The Spring concert is such a rewarding way for us to display our growth. We’ve all worked very hard and come a long way since the beginning of the year.”

The evening started off at 5 P.M. with an exciting performance by the Band. Directed by Tyler Harvey, the group performed a large variety of compositions: from fantastical pieces like Ralph Ford’s impish but forceful Dark Adventure, to bold modern arrangements, such as Hugh Stuart’s triumphant A Hymn for Band. Following this performance was a mini reception in the lobby; Guests replenished their energy with delicious snacks while the Wyoming Seminary jazz band provided background music. 

The Chorale and Madrigals, as well as the String performances commenced at 6 P.M. Similarly to the Band performance, audience members also experienced a wide range of music from these ensembles. The String ensemble, notably, delivered a very impressive finish to the concert with the classical piece Carnival of the Animals by French composer Camille Saint-Saëns. The Chorale, including the Madrigals, also dazzled the audience with a broad selection of songs, including chilling songs of praise like Tomás Luis de Victoria’s Ave Maria as well as upbeat folk songs like Walter Ehret’s arrangement of Cindy. Dr. Daniel Hall, Chorale Director at Wyoming Seminary specifically comments on his favorite part of the concert: “It’s really cool to hear everyone performing, especially, my arrangement of Shall We Gather At the River. It’s exciting to hear SEM singers bring it to life.” 

The Music Department’s Spring Concert brought the community together to commemorate the hard work of students, but also to appreciate music by specifically showcasing its beautifully diverse variety. The concert served as an unforgettable finale for the 2023-2024 year and left both the audience, as well as the performers, in excited anticipation for what’s to come next year!

by Grace Rushmer ’26

On Saturday, December 16th, The Kirby Center for the Creative Arts welcomed the Dance Theater of Wilkes-Barre to the stage for their annual production of the Nutcracker.

This traditional Christmas ballet demonstrates the magic of the holiday season as it follows Clara through her dreams of frolicking sweets and an array of dances that could be seen in many countries. The classical repertoire is performed by professionals and students alike, all throughout the world. This year, this production hosted many of Wyoming Seminary’s current students and alumni including Robert Zaloga ‘20  and Lucy Lew ‘24.

The studio’s Nutcracker and numerous other shows allow opportunities for young dancers as well as more advanced students to perform in front of an audience. “Having the opportunity to dance on the KCCA stage was such an incredible experience,” says Lew. Here at Sem, the performing arts department works incredibly hard behind the scenes of every performance.

With the help of Floyd Bussie, Wyoming Seminary Technical Director, the Nutcracker production was brought to life. “I am so thankful for all of the help we had here at Sem, especially from Mr. Bussie for all of his help with lighting and sound,” remarks Lew.

The arts are an extremely important part of life at Sem, and it is so amazing to see such a wonderful audience outcome coming to support this production. Putting on a dance show requires countless hours of rehearsals, costuming and logistical planning. The dedication and hard work of the staff and dancers at the Dance Theater of Wilkes-Barre didn’t go unnoticed. Dancing on the KCCA stage allowed this company to put on their production as well as demonstrate how important it is to celebrate the performing arts, especially during the holiday season.

By Abby Ryu ‘26

After a short exciting spirit week, Friday evening marked Wyoming Seminary music department’s annual Arts Showcase in the Kirby Center for Creative Arts (KCCA). The audience experienced a wide variety of performances: from complicated classical pieces to fun dances.

The evening started off with a preview of this year’s fall musical, Guys and Dolls. In the scene presented, Nathan Detroit (Benecio Carpentier ‘24) argues with his long-term fiancée, Adelaide (Lily Roberti ‘24), about her strong desire to get married and his gambling habits, when she finds out about his crap game from her friend Mimi (Molly Kopetchny ‘24). As the argument ends, Adelaide, left to wallow alone about the lack of her wedding, sings popular, and fittingly-titled, showtune “Adelaide’s Lament.” The three senior cast members truly wowed the audience with their performance, leaving them looking forward to the full performance, which will be presented in the KCCA on November 4, 5, and 6. 

Following the musical preview, the string ensemble performed three pieces: modern lyrical piece Autumn Vows, by Susan H. Day, along with well-known classical pieces by Johannes Brahms, Hungarian Dance no 5 and Hungarian Dance no 6. Although they were perhaps more challenging, avid string ensemble member and cello player Hannah Salesky ‘26 enjoyed playing Hungarian Dance no 5 and Hungarian Dance no 6: “I really liked the numerous stops and tempo changes that required players to be playing close attention. It sounded really cool when it worked.”

The SEM dance company performed two selections for the audience to enjoy. First, senior Molly Kopetchny performed the re-structured solo-version of her self-choreographed modern lyrical piece to “Stay Gold.” Senior Lucy Lew, junior Abby Lott, and freshman Grace Rushmer followed with an up-beat tap dance to “Fireball,” choreographed by tap teacher Raphael Cooper. The audience was left thoroughly impressed by both pieces, although in different ways. Kopetchny’s graceful emotion was intensely moving while the sparkling energy of “Fireball” emitted thrills of excitement.

The night was wrapped up with two pieces by the Chorale. The first, titled “Shule Aroon,” is an arrangement of an Irish folk tune, sung from the perspective of a woman lamenting a lover who has gone to war. The second, titled “Hakuna Mungu Kama Wewe” is a celebratory Swahili spiritual about the love of god. New member Chloe Caputo ‘26 specifically noted “Even with newer members like myself and it being early in the school year, we were able to put together two arrangements that ended up going well.”